How to Start an Online Retail Shoe Store

Unlike starting an offline shoe store, it may be a tad easier to start a retail shoe store online. Offline stores require you to get a good space, lots of capital for the store itself, the products to sell and some good business marketing. On the other hand, if you’re to start a shoe store online, the only thing you’ll really need is capital for your first set of shoes and a website to start off your business. If you weigh the costs, setting up an online shoe store is definitely cheaper.

But how do you set up a retail shoe store for yourself?

shoes for sale

1. Find a good supplier

No retail shoe store can be set up without an actual supplier. You need to find one first before you open up shop. In order to do this, you can either look for a wholesale women’s shoes supplier online or try out different stores around the area. You can even personally pick out pairs of shoes to sell online, only this might be a little more expensive compared to buying in bulk. Once you have a good set of shoes to start selling, you can now begin the next step.

However, do make sure that your choices in shoes are those that will sell well. Check fashion magazines, online articles and Hollywood sites. Shoes that are worn by famous celebrities are those that are currently in trend and easy to sell. Be creative in finding suppliers. If you find a good pair of shoes on a celebrity, see if you can find a similar one in your supplier’s shop. That way, you can offer the same design for a cheaper price.

2. Get a website

Once you have a supplier, your next step is to buy a website. Not only should you think of a catchy domain name, you should also lay out some categories and requirements to make your website functional. First, divide your shoes into categories. Do you have boots? What kind of boots? Stilettos or high heels? Flats and pumps? This way, buyers would know where to find what they’re looking for. Next, set up a page for customer service. Give them a way to contact you easily or at least set up some social media accounts. Also make sure that you design your website to allow customers to easily navigate through it. The easier to handle the website, the more people will buy from you.

3. Start promoting

Now that you have the basic requirements for your retail shoe store, you can now start promoting your shop. Make sure to target the right market when you start advertising. Ask for help from friends and family. Regularly check your website too, just in case there are error pages or images that don’t work. These can easily turn off customers and you wouldn’t want that to happen.